Kinship Care Resource Center

The Kinship Care Resource Center (KCRC) is a statewide program, administered by Michigan State University’s School of Social Work, that helps kinship families across Michigan find the information, resources, and services they need. Kinship caregivers are relatives or close family friends — grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents, older siblings, and others — who step in to raise children when the biological parents are unable to do so.

These families often take on caregiving suddenly and without the legal status, financial support, or services that foster parents receive, which can leave them scrambling for help. KCRC fills that gap. The center connects caregivers to basic necessities like food and clothing, assists with school enrollment, makes referrals for legal services, identifies financial-assistance opportunities, and points families to health resources. It also fosters community through family support groups and training events, so kinship caregivers know they are not alone.

This resource matters because kinship caregivers shoulder an enormous, often invisible responsibility, frequently while on fixed incomes or in retirement. A single phone call to KCRC can open the door to multiple supports at once and reduce the isolation these families feel. Help is free: caregivers can call 1-800-535-1218, visit the online Help Center, or explore kinship.msu.edu to get started. For any Michigan relative raising a child outside the traditional parent-child structure, KCRC is the essential first stop.